Signs Your Child May Need Tutoring

February 24, 2019

Joy Liasu

If your child is struggling with their studies, it is incredibly useful for a tutor to assist with them with their progress at school. A tutor can help with a variety of situations, be it confidence boosting, raising grades or helping with exams. Here are some examples in detail and how a tutor could benefit your child in many ways.

Caution! Slippery Grades

If you notice your child's grades are rocky or suddenly declining, it may be a good time to speak to your child about the situation and assess if a private tutor could be best for them to raise their grades to a higher standard. Finding out where he/she is struggling with can help you pin point the problem and help your child overcome it.

Asking for feedback from their school teacher may be useful as he/she can tell you in depth if your child has been drifting in class whether it's a particular topic or generally losing concentration and lacking focus, and if a private tutor is decided, they can assist your child with what they've particularly been struggling with and help them gain focus once they have grasped the topic.

Sometimes under-performance in school means the child simply does not understand the work being set, hence the lack of focus and concentration. If the child is constantly perplexed by certain concepts, he/she may not be able to keep up with the grade expectations, let alone the work. A tutor can help distinguish if the child is anxious about a certain topic and will be able to assist the child how to comprehend each subject in full explanation while adapting to the child's learning style to ensure he/she gets better results in tests/projects.

Lacking Confidence

Some children that struggle in school, may not feel like they can turn to anyone for help, as they may feel like they're not smart enough or they fear being laughed at by their peers, so instead, they hide from the situation. This results in less participation in class and less interest in the subject, so grades start to slip. Being in a a school class of more than 15 or so people, the teacher may also be unaware that they are struggling if the child does not make it known, so they will assume that he/she understands the topic being taught. If you feel your child may be struggling, and is too reluctant to tell you or their teacher, extra help from a tutor may be helpful. A tutor can reassure your childthat it is okay to ask for help when they don't understand the subject and encourage self-motivation, which in effect, leads to more participation in class and teach them to have more confidence in themselves.

Learning Disabilities

Some tutors can also help with children who suffer from learning disabilities such as ADHD and dyslexia. Children with learning disabilities are pressured to work harder to keep up with their peers and stay on the same track. Tutors who are experienced in teaching children with disabilities give them the time and attention they need to help them understand and master the subjects they struggle with the most. They are able to adapt to their learning styles and can demonstrate and present information that is easier to process and break down for the child which can ultimately allow them to enjoy class more.

Time Management

If your child has a problem with time managing, for example, putting off projects or just procrastinating, it will result in their workload increasing, putting more pressure on themselves, having to rush to complete the work set, which results in low quality work or even, incomplete work. If this is done constantly, your child may end up falling behind in class. A tutor can help your child with self-motivation, encourage organisation, and eliminate bad study habits such as procrastination and come up with ways to make studying more invigorating for your child, which in result will allow them to not just keep pace with the assignments and projects set, but with the added bonus of your child enjoying the work too.

Exam Preparation

So your child has an exam (be it an entrance exam, GCSE or A-Level exam) coming up and you feel like a private tutor will certainly help them to do well. A private tutor will be able to prepare them for whatever questions may be thrown at them on the particular subject and help them overcome with struggles such as reading/writing, maths/scientific formulas or simply get to grips with essay writing. Private tutors can provide your child with practice exam papers and even examples of past exams so they can fully understand and be ready for the real exam when it is time.

When general signs of learning struggles like the examples above, are shown, it is always best to ask your child or their teachers of their progress in class and demonstrate to your child that if you choose to hire a tutor, that it is to help them. Some children may feel vulnerable or ashamed when asking for help and by hiring a tutor, could possibly, at first, make them withdraw even more rather than facing the problem. It is important that the child understands and accepts that a tutor can be effective when improving their grades. Here at Joy Learning, we aim to keep children happy whilst studying and it is our main goal to encourage them and better themselves as well as their progress at school.